Music Licensing Organisations Team Up to Support Handmade Festival

UK music licensing organisations, PPL and PRS for Music, have joined forces to partner with independent, Leicester-based music festival, Handmade 2017, where they will co-host the second stage on Saturday 29th April and Sunday 30th April. The partnership comes as the organisations launch a music industry joint venture in the city, expected to open for business later in the year.

The PPL and PRS for Music stage will be headlined by anarchic rockers Cabbage on Saturday and Birmingham’s JAWS and ‘90s revivalists Superfood on Sunday. Twin Atlantic and Frightened Rabbit will headline the festival’s main stage, which will also feature appearances from British Sea Power, Honeyblood and Pulled Apart by Horses.

Now in its fourth year, Handmade is a multi-venue city-based music and arts festival, this year revolving around two key venues: the Leicester O2 Academy and the Attenborough Arts Centre. It is organised and curated by some of the most respected local music promoters with decades of experience between them: John Helps (Robot Needs Home), Matt Kirk (Firebug), Nik Sharpe (The Cookie) and Andy Wright (The Charlotte). Artists appearing at last year’s festival included We Are Scientists, Los Campesinos! and Swim Deep.

PRS for Music and PPL work to support the most integral parts of the music industry: the creation and performance of music. Collectively, the two organisations represent the rights of songwriters, composers, publishers, record labels and performers the world over, ensuring they are fairly paid whenever their music is played or reproduced in public.

John Helps, Director, Handmade said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have PRS and PPL involved in Handmade this year. It’s important for us to work with organisations who support musicians as much as they do, and who are involved at every level – from new and emerging talent upwards.

It’s particularly poignant to have them as part of Handmade this year as part of their business moves to premises in Leicester. We look forward to welcoming them to a city that has such a fertile creative community, which nurtures its new acts and produces such a diverse range of music across its venues and events.”

Peter Leathem, Chief Executive, PPL said: “We are delighted to be able to support Handmade 2017 and co-host a stage with our friends at PRS for Music. The festival is a leading light for Leicester’s music scene and we are excited about becoming more involved in that as we launch our joint venture in the city this year. It promises to be a great weekend for performers and attendees alike.”

Paul Clements, Commercial Director, PRS for Music said: “We are excited and proud to be partnering with Handmade Festival in association with PPL in the vibrant City of Leicester, from where we plan to launch our new joint venture that will benefit customers from later this year. Handmade Festival – as its name suggests – is a lovingly crafted local multi-arts event and we applaud the festival’s organisers for continuing to bring such an eclectic mix of established and exciting grassroots music talents to its audience.”

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Great Central, John has been actively involved in Leicester's creative community for over a decade - promoting shows and releasing records under the name Robot Needs Home. He is a director of Handmade Festival, and ex member of the band Maybeshewill.

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